Proceedings of the trial of the accused in killing the activist Nizar Banat
Yesterday, January 29, 2023, a trial session was held at the special military court in Ramallah for the 14 members of the preventive security, accused of killing the martyr Nizar Banat, the session was held in the presence of the entire ruling body, and in the presence of the fourteen accused who were previously released, their attorney, and a representative of the military prosecution. “Lawyers for Justice” group followed the session as an observer of the trial sessions of the accused in the case of the murder of activist Nizar Banat, and some colleagues and representatives of local and international human rights institutions. Within the framework of the litigation procedures; The defense attorney presented his defense evidence, represented by an expert, who is a forensic doctor, head of the forensic medicine department in a hospital in Jordan, doctor (A.A.); Who submitted his report to the court, then he was discussed about this report by the defense attorney, the representative of the military prosecution, and by the court; he summarized in his report, “The cause of death of the deceased is due to heart and respiratory failure.” He added, “The cause of death is the health condition that the deceased was suffering from.” He commented on the forensic report, “What they found of the death result is not correct” The doctor (A.A) confirmed that his basis in constructing his report relied on the forensic medical report, the medical file of Nizar before his martyrdom, in addition to some papers and files that he received from the court. In its role, the Military Prosecution objected to showing the medical report prepared by the expert, expressing that it is a structural and office report, and it did not rely on examination, and autopsy, and that the approved reports must be issued by the competent authorities, but the court added the report to the case file. The observer of the “Lawyers for Justice” group made some observations during the session, which was initially represented by the expert detouring by answering some questions of the court and the prosecution, and answering them in general terms, the defense attorney intervened by adding some words or phrases to the expert’s answers, the presence of some terms in the report of the expert, who confirmed verbally that they are either wrong or not found in the medical dictionary, such as the term traumatic shock, The session was adjourned for 10 minutes, then he returned and said after the adjournment of the session, “The term traumatic shock exists only in the head and not in the rest of the body, and it does not apply to Nizar’s case, but rather what applies to Nizar’s case in the head is bruises” the defense attorney interrupted the court and the prosecution. It is noteworthy that the session was adjourned to February 26, 2023, and was postponed to allow the defense attorney to decide whether he wishes to provide additional evidence or not. It is worth mentioning that today’s session started at 10:00 and ended at 1:45. … January 30, 2023 Lawyers for Justice
“Lawyers for Justice” group obtains two decisions to release two political prisoners.
Today, “Lawyers for Justice ” group obtained two decisions to release two political detainees, one of them from the Magistrate’s Court in Jenin. The first was a decision to release the political detainee Firas Shadouf, who is being held by the preventive security in Betunia, after he was transferred from the preventive security headquarters in Jenin. While the other order, issued by the Magistrate’s Court in Nablus, orders the release of political detainee Ayman Rashid, who was arrested for participating in a demonstration denouncing the arrest of political detainee Musab Shtayyeh and his fellows. It is noteworthy that the two release decisions were issued after the detainees’ families completed the procedures for personal guarantees, the value of each one being 1,000 Jordanian dinars. … Lawyers for Justice January 15, 2023
Postponing the trial session of those accused of killing the martyr Nizar Banat until January 29, 2023
Today, January 15, 2023, a trial session was held for the 14 members of the preventive security, accused of killing the martyr Nizar Banat, in the Special Military Court. The fourteen defendants were represented in this session, in addition to the presence of a representative of the military prosecution, and a lawyer from “Lawyers for Justice” group as an observer of fair trial guarantees, in addition to some colleagues representatives of human rights institutions, and it was noted that the defense attorney was absent. In this session, the representative of the military prosecution submitted to the special court a letter issued by the Palestinian Bar Association stating that there is a strike and suspension of work before the courts, and based on that, he requested to postpone the court session, which the court postponed until January 29, 2023. Accordingly, the “Lawyers for Justice” group considers this statement as an invitation to human rights organizations, local and international, to attend the next court session, to ensure that the sessions proceed fairly and without delay. … Lawyers for Justice January 15, 2023
“Lawyers for Justice” group follows five detainees on the grounds of their participation in demonstrations condemning the arrest of political detainee Musab Shtayeh and his fellows
The “Lawyers for Justice” group followed five detainees on the grounds of their participation in demonstrations condemning the arrest of the political detainee Musab Shtayyeh and his fellows, one of them in Nablus, and the others in Tulkarem. Yesterday, the Palestinian security agencies referred the detainee, Ayman Rashid, from Nablus, to the public prosecution. He was interrogated on charges of illegal assembly, and at the same time they extended his detention for 24 hours; and today, the Nablus Magistrate Court extended his detention for 10 days. In the same context; Yesterday, the General Intelligence Service in Tulkarem released Khader Dhiab and Mahmoud Alaria, while Ghaith Mahawi and Omar Freij are still administratively detained without going through legal procedures. Accordingly; The Lawyers for Justice group affirms the right of individuals to demonstrate, as well as their right to adopt and embrace opinions. … Lawyers for Justice January 12, 2023
The Nablus Magistrate Court decided to release the political detainee, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait
Today, the Nablus Magistrate Court decided to release the political detainee, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait, on a personal guarantee of 500 Jordanian dinars; it is noteworthy that Saqf Al-Hait. has been detained by the Preventive Security since January 7, 2023, and he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the hands of the Preventive Security Service. The Public Prosecution charged him with contempt of authority. … Lawyers for Justice January 12, 2023
A position issued by the Lawyers for Justice group on the security services’ suppression of the demonstration demanding the release of political detainees
Lawyers for Justice followed with great concern the events in Nablus, the suppression of the Palestinian security services to the demonstration, demanding the release of political detainees, the arrest of some demonstrators, firing gas bombs at them, as well as the assault on journalists while they were covering this demonstration. The group monitored the practice of the security forces as a suppression of freedom of opinion and expression, which contravenes article (19) of the Palestinian basic law, which states, “There is no prejudice to freedom of opinion, and every person has the right to express and publish his opinion verbally, in writing, or by other means of expression or art taking into account the provisions of the law.” It also contravenes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” Lawyers for Justice also condemns the continuation of political arrests, and the assault on journalists while carrying out their duties and conveying the truth to citizens. Accordingly; Lawyers for Justice group asserts that the repression of any peaceful demonstration is an assault on a constitutional right, and an explicit violation of the Palestinian basic law that guarantees public freedoms for citizens within the scope of the law, and renews the call to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression, and guarantee freedom of affiliation, work and political participation which guaranteed by the basic law, And human rights agreements to which the Palestinian Authority committed itself. … Lawyers for Justice January 10, 2023
Despite the allegations of torture raised by the political detainee, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait; Nablus Magistrate Court extends his detention for five days
The Nablus Magistrate Court extended the detention of the political activist and critic of the Palestinian Authority, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait, for a period of five days. The Preventive Security in Nablus had arrested Saqf Al-Hait on January 7, after his arrest, the Preventive Security stormed his house and searched his belongings. Today, Saqf Al-Hait told the court, in the presence of Lawyers for Justice, that he was beaten and ill-treated during his arrest and during his detention at the Preventive Security Service, but the court extended his detention under the pretext of the seriousness of the charge to the public order and security. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice is deeply concerned about the continued detention of the activist Saqfi al-Hait, which may be a prelude to the Preventive Security forces continuing to torture him. … Lawyers for Justice January 10, 2023
Lawyers for Justice: Closure of 7 Palestinian civil and human rights institutions is a new Israeli aggression on human rights
Lawyers for Justice condemns the closure of the occupation, seven human rights and civil institutions, Thursday, August 18, 2022, in Ramallah: (Al-Haq Foundation, Addameer Foundation for Prisoner Care and Human Rights, Bisan Center for Research and Development, the International Movement for Defense of Children, and Action Committees Agriculture, the Health Work Committees Corporation, and the Union of Women’s Committees), attacks on their facilities, theft of their property, and closing their doors. Lawyers for Justice emphasizes that this closure is a blatant attack on the human rights community in the Palestinian territories, and attempt to disguise everyone who tries to expose the occupation and its crimes against the Palestinians, an attempt that began by classifying six out of the seven institutions attacked today as terrorist institutions last year. Lawyers for Justice believes that because the satisfaction of the international community and the Palestinian Authority work in condemning the classification of institutions as terrorist, without taking any real action to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its aggression, it has opened the way for more violations practiced by the Israeli occupation government, army and settlers against the Palestinians in their various places of residence. As the Lawyers for Justice declares its solidarity with the seven institutions, it calls on the international community, civil society, civil and human rights organizations to stand up to its responsibilities in a practical way to prosecute the occupation and ensure the functioning of these institutions without fear. It also calls on the Palestinian Authority to go seriously to try the occupation in international courts, away from prosecuting it only in the speeches and statements.
Lawyers for Justice in the face of incitement by the executive organs
Again, the executive bodies and their employees continue their incitement against the Lawyers for Justice to prevent it from exercising its human rights work and defending the rights of activists and citizens, especially after the rise of the violations of the executive authority in the last two months. Unfortunately, the Lawyers for Justice group is following up the attempts of the security forces to pressure the political detainee’s families who the group is following, pushing them to withdraw their confidence from the group, as well as the distortion, incitement, and misinformation practiced by the forces against the group’s lawyers who are deployed in various governorates of the West Bank. in addition to lies on their tongues in front of the detainees and their families. In addition, the legal advisors of the security forces are trying to restrict the group’s lawyers during their normal work in pleading with the detainees and attending the investigation sessions, which are guaranteed by Palestinian law. These advisors, in cooperation with the forces in which they work, seek to issue subpoenas for the lawyers of the Lawyers for Justice. We affirm that the incitement that Lawyers for Justice is facing has not stopped since the group began its work in 2011, but it increases with every campaign of political arrests, every persistence in violating the law, and every belief by responsibles that they can adapt the law according to their interests, not according to justice. We at Lawyers for Justice assure that all restrictions and incitement against us will not weaken our position in defending human rights, and we will continue our legal and human rights activities in any attack on rights and freedoms that are protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and have not been safeguarded by the executive forces and their users. with respect for trial guarantees of justice that do not justify arbitrary arrest, torture, and beatings, whatever the act or accusation against any accused person.
New violations: more than 10 decisions to extend the detention of activists
Today, Sunday, July 24, 2022, the Jericho Court of First Instance extended the detention of fellow trainee lawyer Ahmed Al-Khasib, Jihad Wahdan, and Alaa Ghanem for 45 days, at the request of the Public Prosecution, and against a political background. The political detainees concluded last week with a series of extensions of their detention at the request of the Public Prosecution. The extension decisions followed up by Lawyers for Justice were as follows: – The Jericho Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Birzeit University student Qassam Hamayel for 15 days, due to his student activity. – The Ramallah Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Muhammad Mahmoud Sheikh, Muhammad Suleiman, Islam Arar, Anas Sahweil and Mahdi al-Rimawi for 15 days on a political ground. – The Jericho Court of First Instance extended the detention of Ahmed Harish and Munther Raheeb for 45 days on a political ground. – Ramallah Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Muhammad Farouk Khaled for 7 days on a political ground.– The Jericho Magistrate’s Court extended Moath Saleh’s detention for 15 days. A Lawyers for Justice confirms that the charges attached to the detainees are politically motivated charges, far from any legal evidence, which was confirmed by the nature of the interrogation with the detainees, which takes a political turn. Lawyers for Justice condemns the continued detention of activists, human rights defenders, and citizens, some of whom will be close to two months after their arrest, without regard to public freedoms and the Palestinian Basic Law. The Lawyers for Justice group calls for all to stand as civil society institutions, human rights defenders and journalists, to move for the release of all detainees, and to stop the series of political arrests, which have escalated in the recent period.